President Trump in Richfield, Ohio - Rebuilding American Infrastructure

"We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways all across our land. And we will do it with American heart, and American hands, and American grit." - President Donald J. Trump

REBUILDING AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE: President Donald J. Trump is in Ohio to discuss his proposal for rebuilding infrastructure in America.

Today, President Trump is speaking with Ohio workers about how his infrastructure proposal will help rebuild and modernize America’s infrastructure and build a stronger American workforce for the future.

The President’s proposal includes $200 billion in Federal funds to spur at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments across America.

$100 billion will be directed to an Incentives Program to generate additional investment from States, localities, and the private sector.

$50 billion will be devoted to rebuilding and modernizing rural infrastructure.

$10 billion will go to a capital revolving fund to help reduce inefficient Federal property leasing that would be more cost-effective to purchase.

President Trump’s proposal will return infrastructure decision-making to States and localities, allowing them to invest in the specific needs of their communities.

The proposal will get Washington out of the way of needed infrastructure improvements by eliminating regulatory barriers and streamlining permitting processes.

A “one agency, one decision” structure will be established for environmental reviews and the process will be shortened to two years.

More flexibility will be given to projects that have minimal Federal funding but currently must seek Federal review and approval.

INVESTING IN AMERICAN WORKERS: The President’s proposal will help better prepare American workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

President Trump’s proposal for rebuilding infrastructure in America will help give more American workers access to education and workforce-development programs by:

Expanding Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality short-term programs.

Better distributing Federal Work Study program funds to ensure more students gain relevant workplace experience.

Reforming the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) program so that more funds go to programs which meet local workforce needs.

The President is appearing at a training site for International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18’s apprenticeship and training program.

IUOE Local 18’s training and apprenticeship program is one of the largest IUOE training programs in the country, serving over 15,000 members.

The program offers a range of opportunities for workers to develop and improve the skills they need to succeed in their fields.

Classes offered by the program provide workers with training in operating industry machinery, including bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, backhoes, and more.

Skills-training and apprenticeship programs like IUOE Local 18’s are critical resources that help prepare workers for high-demand, well-paying jobs.

More than 90 percent of all apprenticeship program participants gain employment after completing their programs according to data from the Department of Labor.

Too many American workers have been unable to fill well-paying jobs due to insufficient access to skills-training programs.

There are currently 250,000 job openings in the construction industry and 305,000 in transportation, warehousing, and utilities.

According to a 2014 study by Georgetown University, just under two-thirds of all jobs will require some form of training or education beyond high school by 2020.

CONTINUING TO REBUILD THE AMERICAN ECONOMY: President Trump’s infrastructure proposal will build upon the success his Administration has already had in strengthening the American economy.

President Trump’s proposal to leverage $200 billion in Federal funds to spur at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments will help further strengthen the American economy.

The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) estimates that a 10-year $1.5 trillion infrastructure investment program could boost annual average gross domestic product (GDP) growth by between 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points.

CEA estimates that a $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments would employ between 290,000 and 414,000 additional infrastructure workers on average over ten years.

The economic benefits of President Trump’s infrastructure proposal will build upon the gains the economy has already seen under this Administration.

This week, United States GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2017 was revised up from 2.5 percent to 2.9 percent, beating expectations.

Nearly 2.5 million jobs have been created since President Trump took office, including 245,000 manufacturing jobs and 300,000 construction jobs.

The unemployment rate has remained at a 17-year low since October of last year.